Magical Warrior Ejyputomon
by tiedwithribbons
Summary: When the Seven Great Demon Lords escape their imprisonment and return to threaten the Digital World, one Digimon's life changes forever. Approached by the mysterious Dorumon, Mummymon is given the power to become the guardian of the Digital World - Magical Warrior Ejyputomon! Can he find the Destiny Stones before the Demon Lords use them to resurrect their dark master?


**Well, after much procrastination, I've finally got this posted! This is probably my longest story yet (32 pages worth of writing!) and it's only the first chapter! I think I'm gonna try and write that many pages for all the chapters.**

**I don't know if I'll get many reviews, but I REALLY wanted to write this, so I hope you like it.**

**A hero arrives! The birth of Magical Warrior Ejyputomon**

_The Realm of the Royal Knights_

The light of the full moon shone through the branches of the ancient ash tree, illuminating the leaves in a soft glow and giving a gentle sheen to the trunk. Everything was still and serene in the darkness of the night – not a sound could be heard, not a thing moved. The only sign of life came from the small cluster of twelve armored figures who stood before the tree, and even then a casual observer would have easily mistaken them for statues had they not occasionally glanced over their shoulders, as though waiting for something…or someone.

One of the still figures, a crimson bipedal dragon, leaned close to his neighbor, a slightly effeminate being in pink armor, and muttered, "He's late."

"He'll be here," came the reply. "He would never disobey an urgent summons from Her Ladyship any more than the rest of us would."

The dragon scoffed softly. "Urgent, you say? Doubtful. If it were truly urgent, he would have been here before any of us had arrived. If you ask me, this is merely a test of our loyalty."

"I hope you are not questioning Her Ladyship, Examon," said a deep, slightly commanding voice. Out of the shadows behind the group came a thirteenth figure, striding towards the head of the cluster with his hands clasped behind his back. An imposing sight, he was clad from head to foot in jet-black armor with gold trimmings, and a blue and white cape which fell from his shoulders to his ankles. His calm ruby eyes stared across the other members of his order as he turned to face them. "And I apologize for my tardiness, but you should know by now that a leader always arrives when he means to."

Ignoring the disbelieving looks some of the knights gave him, he turned to face the great tree. Placing his hand reverently on his chest, he spoke in a tone of deepest respect and loyalty. "My Lady, we - your most noble and devoted Royal Knights - have gathered before you. We beg of you to grace us with your presence."

For a few moments, there was no response. Then the trunk of the tree began to glow with a light brighter than that of the moon shining down upon the assorted knights, emanating from within the tree itself. As they watched, a luminous form took shape within the brightness, which lingered for a few seconds more before fading completely. Standing before them was a small female crystalline figure, her deceptively-delicate facade and gentle smile contrasting with her vaguely star-shaped helmet and shoulder guards as well as the twin spears she wielded.

In one smooth, fluid motion, the black-armored knight sank onto one knee in a deferential bow. "My Lady," he murmured, his actions repeated almost immediately by the other knights.

Moving forward, the crystalline figure released the spears, which hovered by her sides, and placed her hand atop the black knight's helm. "Arise, my Knights," she said in a voice that was soft and gentle. "I am pleased to see you have answered my summons."

"We are honored that you have requested us, My Lady," a knight clad in violet armor with a skull motif responded. "But, if I may ask, why exactly have you summoned us here?"

Instead of answering, the lady raised her arm into the air. There was a small flash of light, and she lowered her hand, now clenched in a fist. "The crystals have sent me a message," she announced solemnly, opening her hand to reveal a dark blue crystal floating a few inches above her palm, which she took in both hands and held out to the knights. "The time is coming."

From within the gem emanated a muted glow, followed by a reverberating voice:

_"Seven seals for seven lords, _

_A drop of blood the key, _

_For rage to break the sacred wards, _

_And set the demons free._

_A chosen one in wrappings white,_

_Shall heed the noble call,_

_The powers of virtue grant him might,_

_And so evil shall fall."_

There was a moment of silence, then a blue-skinned knight in golden armor respectfully bowed his head. "With all due respect, My Lady, are we seriously to entrust the safety of all worlds to a normal Digimon?"

"Magnamon is right," said the bipedal dragon, sinking once more into a bow. "My Lady, I beg you to allow us to face this threat. While none of us wish to abandon you, we shall meet this threat with all the courage and determination as befits us as Royal Knights."

The lady smiled softly. "I am glad that you are prepared to defend this world and the Digital World, but fate has decided differently, and we must do as it has said."

"But this is preposterous!" protested the blue-skinned knight. "We cannot allow a mere mortal to face those - those MONSTERS! I say we forget about fate, and -" He was cut off as the lady waved a hand, causing his mouth to snap shut.

"Enough, Magnamon" she said, and although her voice had not changed in tone, the knight hung his head as though he had been scolded. "You know as well as the rest of us that the crystals cannot be influenced. So they have chosen, and so it must be. We cannot interfere...at least, not directly. Thus..." She turned to the black-clad knight. "You know what you must do?"

Although she did not elaborate, the armored knight bowed deeply. "I will not fail you, My Lady."

"I have every trust in you, most noble leader." The lady turned and waved her hand. From out of nowhere appeared a swirling, multi-colored portal, which stood open as if in wait. She turned back to the knight and handed him the crystal. "This will enable you to find the destined one, and to empower him. The other knights and I shall aide you when we can, although we can only speak to you at night or in your dreams. And now you must go."

With another bow, he turned to a knight clad in white armor with purple streaks. "Until I return, Omnimon, you are in command. Make me proud."

The white knight nodded. "Good luck, Alphamon," he said as he raised his weapons in a salute which was quickly taking up by the other knights.

A final respectful wave, and the black knight stepped into the portal, which disappeared the moment he entered.

* * *

_The Digital World, Chez Digitamago restaurant_

"Got two orders of spaghetti carbonara for Table Seven!"

"Coming right up!" The grey-skinned chef grabbed a saucepan from the stove and proceeded to separate the contents between two plates, adding a sprinkling of Parmesan before placing them on the tray the brown-and-white feathered waiter was holding.

"Thanks, Mummymon!" the waiter said. "By the way, Table Seventeen wants to know if their shepard's pie is ready yet."

"Hold on." Wrapping a dishcloth around his hand, Mummymon opened the door of the oven and peered inside. "Yep, it's ready! And cooked to golden-brown perfection." Taking the dish from the oven with his protected hand, he grabbed some plates from a nearby stack, laid them out on the work-surface and proceeded to set out the pie, adding some mashed potatoes and green vegetables, before placing them on another tray. Looking at the waiter, who was already holding the tray of spaghetti and one of drinks, he said, "Look, I know this isn't really my job, but would you like some help?"

"No need," said a short waiter as he approached, smiling over his sewn-up face. Taking the tray of shepard's pie, he looked up at his feathered colleague. "C'mon, Silphymon, Digitamamon isn't paying us to stand around chatting."

"Ok, Wizardmon." The two headed back into the dining room of the restaurant, where they served the customers then spent a little time wandering around seeing if anything else was required and taking payment for any bills before returning to resume their chat with their friend, who was leaning against the open door of the kitchen (although keeping an eye on his workstation and the things that were cooking).

"Looks like a full house today," remarked Silphymon. "Might put old grumpy-shell in a good mood."

"Sssshhhh!" hissed Mummymon, nervously glancing over at Digitamamon's office, although he was smiling too. "If he hears you..."

Silphymon scoffed. "Pur-lease! The only thing that'll get HIM outta there is if there's a fire or summat! Anyway, I picked up some good tips, which'll probably help towards any academy fees."

Mummymon raised his eyebrow. "So, you've heard from the Digital City PI Academy, then?"

Silphymon shook his head. "Not yet, but I'm hoping I will soon, and then..." he paused for effect, "it'll be goodbye Silphymon underpaid waiter and hello Silphymon world-famous private eye! I can see it all now - fame, fortune, my own office..." He glowered at a snigger from the third member of the trio. "And what, may I ask, do you find so amusing?"

"I-I'm sorry, i-it's just...you're being kinda presumptuous, aren't you?" spluttered Wizardmon. "What makes you so sure you'll be an overnight success? Most detectives work on their cases for weeks, maybe even _months,_ and they never get paid much."

"Oh, ye of little faith!" retorted Silphymon. "You wait, I'll be up to my ears in cases!"

"Sure, and I'll run away and join the circus!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mummymon interjected, holding up his hands in a 'calm down' gesture. "This is getting a little heated, isn't it? You've gotta admit, Silph, Wiz might have a-" He stopped suddenly, his face turning bright red as he spotted something over by the restaurant door.

"Um...are you OK?" Wizardmon asked, concerned by his friend's actions.

"I'd...better get to work." Mummymon darted back into the kitchen as though a herd of Tyrannomon were after him and started chopping up noodles like his life depended on it.

"What's gotten into him?" Wizardmon asked Silphymon, any negative feelings between the two now forgotten.

"Dunno. I haven't heard shouting, so it can't be the boss. Unless..." Silphymon glanced over at the door, then gave a short laugh. "Shoulda known." Upon seeing Wizardmon's puzzled look, he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. "Look who just entered our workplace."

Wizardmon turned, his confusion fading in an instant. "Ah, of course," he chuckled. He had every right to be amused, for picking out a table was a beautiful white-haired woman wearing a loose-fitting red dress, purple gloves and purple boots, a steepled hat upon her head. Her eyes were hidden behind dark glasses, and her purple lips were straight in a line of indifference.

"I'm surprised Mommy and Daddy let her out of the house without her bodyguards," remarked Silphmon. "Did they have a personality transplant or something?"

"Apparently, they're out of town."

"The guards?"

"No, the parents. Anyway, she's not completely 'unprotected'." Wizardmon made air quotes with his fingers. "That Renamon with her?" He pointed to a yellow bipedal fox-like Digimon wearing dark glasses and talking into a cellphone. "I happen to know that she's the newest recruit they've hired to watch over their 'precious darling'." More finger quotes.

"Ah, I see. By the way, I'm planning to visit the old abandoned shrine at lunch. Wanna come with me? There's something really cool I wanna show ya."

"Sure, but -"

"HEY! What is this, a break room?!" yelled a voice. Startled, the two waiters spun around to find themselves waist-to-face with a large eggshell-clad Digimon with green dinosaur legs and yellow eyes, who was glaring at them. "When I hired you two, it was to serve tables and take orders, not to stand around gossiping like a pair'a fishwives! Now get back to work, or you won't have jobs TO get back to!"

"Yes, sir, Digitamamon-san!" exclaimed Wizardmon, as he and Silphymon sprang to a salute. "I'm sorry, it's just, when we saw who just arrived..."

"What are you babbling about?" Digitamamon demanded, turning to see what the fuss was about. When he saw the white-haired woman, however, his attitude changed considerably. "Well, this changes everything! Stay outta this, boys, I'll take her order personally."

"Like you do everytime she shows up, brownnoser?" Silphymon muttered.

"What was that?!" snapped Digitamamon.

"I said you'll need to write it down, oh sir," the Beast Man Digimon purred respectfully, holding out his notepad and a pen. Digitamamon snatched them from him without a word, then walked over to the woman's table, unaware that as he approached, her eyes narrowed in annoyance behind her shades.

"Good day, Miss Arukenimon!" said Digitamamon in an oily tone (it never hurt to butter up these rich types). "You look lovely today, as usual! How are your parents? May I interest you in today's special? Only half price for you, since you're our most loyal customer!"

"Skip the fancy talk, Digitamamon," Arukenimon replied brusquely (she had never liked suck-ups). "I'll just have a bowl of the usual, and a cappuccino - and I'll be paying full price."

"As you wish, ma'am!" said Digitamamon, writing down the order before turning to the Renamon. "And for your friend?"

"I'll have the cherry pie and lemon smoothie," said Renamon in smooth, clipped tones."And she isn't my friend - I am her guard for the day."

Apologizing profusely for his mistake, Digitamamon scurried back to the kitchen, thrusting the notepad at Wizardmon, who had been taking some dirty plates to be washed. "Make yourself useful and get these filled!" he snapped as he headed back to his office."And don't mess up! The last thing we need is for her to tell her rich friends that this is a bad place!"

"Right away, Digitamamon-san," the wizard replied with a respectful bow, then muttered at the retreating Digimon, "Eager to TAKE her orders, but not so eager to FILL them, aren't you? Oh well, may as well earn my paycheck." Poking his head into the kitchen, he called, "One slice of cherry pie, one lemon smoothie, one cappuccino and one bowl of the usual for Table Five!"

The other three chefs the restaurant hired got to work at once; cutting slices of pie, blending together smoothie ingredients and pouring coffee, but no sooner were the words out of the wizard's mouth than a steaming bowl of wonton ramen was thrust into his face, the chef who was holding it sprinkling some garlic and chili powder onto it. "D-do you think she'll like it?" came the nervous question.

"Like it? Mumm, she'll LOVE it!" Wizardmon reassured him "As much as she loves anything, anyway," he muttered as he placed everything onto a tray. Taking it in both hands, he was about to take it to Table Five when he had an idea. "Hey, Mumm?"

"Yeah?"

"I know this isn't really your job, but I'm kinda busy and so's Silph, so I was wondering - could YOU take this tray to Table Five?"

Mummymon did a double take, his face turning pink._ "M-me?!"_

"Don't worry! It's not that heavy to carry, and Digitamamon's safely in his office. Besides, it didn't bother you earlier."

"I know, b-but she wasn't here then!"

"Please, Mumm? I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Mummymon opened his mouth to protest, but at the slightly pleading look on his friend's face, he relented. "OK, fine, but this is the only time I'm gonna do this while she's here," he agreed, taking the tray from Wizardmon.

"Thanks! By the way, Silph and I were gonna visit the old shrine at lunch. Do you want to come too? Apparently, he's got something 'really cool' he wants us to see."

"Ok, I might as well, since I've got nothing better planned. Now if you don't mind..." he took a nervous breath. "I'd better get this over with." With that, he straightened his spine and headed out into the restaurant.

As the mummy advanced towards the table, it took every drop of courage he possessed not to turn and flee back to the safety of the kitchen. Reaching his goal, he placed the food in front of the two women, trying to concentrate on not dropping everything in his nervousness. "H-here you go." Renamon gave him a nod of thanks, then started on her cherry pie, but Arukenimon didn't even look at him as she picked up the chopsticks provided and began to transfer the food to her mouth.

Mummymon stood there staring, clutching the tray to his chest. He knew he looked like an idiot, and he knew he'd be in big trouble if Digitamamon appeared, but he didn't care. He had to do whatever he could to extend these precious few moments he had with the woman he adored more than life itself.

"Um...excuse me? Did you want something?"

"Huh?" Mummymon came to his senses, realizing that Arukenimon and Renamon had been staring at him for the past few seconds. "Oh! Er...well...I just wanted to say..."

"To say what?" Arukenimon didn't even try to hide her irritation.

_To say that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever met; that I long to take you in my arms and tell you how much I love you; that I see you in my dreams; that my dearest wish is to marry you and have children with you... _"To say that...it's a nice day, isn't it?" The undead Digimon winced inwardly. The weather? Any number of things he could have talked about, and he chose the WEATHER?!

"Yes, I suppose it is," said Arukenimon in a tone of pure disdain.

"Excuse me," interjected Renamon in a polite but firm tone. "Unless you have anything else to say, I think we would appreciate it if you would leave now. Otherwise..." She trailed off meaningfully.

"R-right!" The mummy turned, but before he could walk away, a Wendigomon entered the restaurant and, upon catching sight of Arukenimon, made a beeline for her table. "Well, hello, gorgeous," the Champion-level purred as he leaned on the table.

"Well, goodbye, loser," Arukenimon responded, tacking a sip of cappuccino.

Wendigomon laughed. "Ah, c'mon, don't be like that. Y'never know, a guy like me could show a girl like you a good time."

"Perhaps, but a guy like you isn't GOING to show a girl like me anything."

The amused smile faded from Wendigomon's face. "Now, you listen here..." he began in a threatening tone of voice, but before he could go any further, Renamon put down her fork, got to her feet, grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground in a judo throw. "The lady's not interested!" she snapped. "And I believe I asked you to please leave?" This last one was directed at Mummymon, who had not moved from his spot.

"Oh! Right!" With that, the mummy turned and darted back into the kitchen.

* * *

_The citizens of Digital City were happily laughing, chatting to their friends or into their cellphones, or just heading out to get a bite to eat during their lunch hour. None of them paid any attention to what was happening above their heads - if they had, they would've seen a black armored Digimon standing on the roof of a building miles above them, scanning them with his eyes and occasionally glancing at something clutched in his hand._

_Gazing down at the Digimon who passed by far below, he reflected on the ones he had followed and spied upon since arriving in this world, in the hopes that one of them would be the 'Chosen One' Her Ladyship had spoken of. He had left no possibility untouched - from the youngest Baby, to the oldest Mega. And still the crystal had not responded to any of them._

_Perhaps, he mused to himself, it was time to try another settlement. If the Chosen One was not here, then logic dictated that he or she would be somewhere else in the many square miles of the Digital World. And as a Royal Knight, it was his duty to..._

_His contemplation was interrupted by a soft glow in his hand. A brief look at the crystal confirmed that the light was indeed emanating from inside the gem, and it was slowly becoming brighter with every second that passed. Eventually, he had to place his other hand over it, lest it drew any unwelcome attention._

_Well, it appeared that his search was over. The question was...who was the cause of the light?_

_Looking down over the side of the building, he saw that the crowd below had thinned slightly, and three Digimon were passing by. They seemed to be discussing something (or at least, one of them was talking and the other two were politely listening), and they were headed in the direction of the outskirts of town. Of course, that on its own was nothing special - he had seen several Digimon making their way there throughout the day - but none of them had caused the crystal to react. And even as they passed where he was standing hundreds of feet above them, the glow began to fade the further they moved away._

_Quickly, he turned and hurried after them, effortlessly leaping from building to building in his pursuit. Upon reaching the last building, he jumped to the ground, landing as lightly on his feet as though he had merely jumped from a chair. Glancing around to make sure nobody had seen him, he noticed that the three he had been following had stopped (and for some reason, the brown-and-white feathered one appeared to be doubled over with laughter), but before he could do anything else, one of the strange wheeled contraptions that appeared to be everywhere in this world stopped at the path, and he was forced to duck behind a large, odd-smelling metal container as several Digimon stepped out of it in case one of them should look over and see him. By the time he deemed it safe to peek out, the crowd had gone, but so had the trio._

_Trying not to let his frustration overwhelm him, he considered his options. He had no way of telling where the three might have gone, and even less chance of being able to find even one of them without sticking out like a sore thumb - while he might be able to pass himself off as a new type of Knightmon, more than likely someone would ask a lot of awkward questions he would rather avoid having to answer._

_Perhaps it was time for another approach._

* * *

"Aw, c'mon, Mumm, don't be like that! You know I was only teasing!"

"Well, it wasn't funny, Silph," Mummymon said sullenly, kicking at a stone on the path. "I know I made a fool of myself; I don't need you rubbing it in."

"I'm sorry, but you've gotta admit, it IS kinda funny. I mean, the _weather?!_ How unromantic can you get!" Silphymon tried, and failed, to stifle a giggle. "And that Wendigomon? I mean, I know you don't have powers or even fighting skills, but you could've at least said something!" He laughed, but upon seeing the look on his friend's face, sobered up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, cheer up! I'm sure there'll other opportunities for you to win her heart! In fact, I can teach you some chat-up lines that are GUARANTEED to work!"

"And just how many women have been attracted to you, Silph?" Wizardmon deadpanned.

Silphymon ignored him and continued unabashed. "Trust me, Mumm, a few lessons from me, and she'll be putty in your hands!"

Mummymon chuckled slightly, feeling a little better. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll take my chances."

Silphymon shrugged. "Well, it's your choice, but I still say you should at least consider it!"

Wizardmon rolled his eyes, tutting slightly, but his attention was quickly diverted. "Hey, guys, we're here," he said, pointing at the shrine which stood a little way ahead of them.

Old and decrepit, but imposing at the same time, the shrine resembled the towers of a small castle. The green tile roof of the hall of worship had caved in long ago, and the stone steps leading up to it were crumbling slightly. The purification font and stone lantern had already submitted to the decay of erosion. Yet despite having seen better days, the shrine was still a highly popular place to visit, mainly because of the back wall of the main hall, which was made not out of wood but stone. There were rumors that this stone had sacred powers, and many a Digimon had written down their wishes and attached them to the iron pegs hammered into the wall, in the hope that they would come true.

As the trio carefully made their way up the steps, Wizardmon asked, "So, just what is this 'cool thing' you want us to see? And is it gonna take long, because I actually plan on eating lunch during this break. I know it only takes about fifteen minutes to get here from work, but even so..."

"Don't worry, it's in the main hall," said Silphymon. "And trust me, it is _awesome."_

"Right," Wizardmon muttered, sharing a skeptical look with Mummymon. The two had lost count of the number of times Silphymon had shown them something he deemed 'cool', only for them both to be sorely disappointed. Nevertheless, they continued following their friend up the stone path that lead to the shrine, past the hall of worship and into the main hall.

Silphymon entered the hall and gestured grandly. "There it is!" he told his friends. "Isn't it amazing?"

Wizardmon and Mummymon looked in the direction their friend had pointed out. "Um...I don't wanna sound rude, but, why did you bring us all this way just to look at the wall?" asked the mummy. "I mean, I know it's supposed to have powers, but..."

Silphymon facepalmed. "Not the wall, you moron! The thing on the wall!"

"What thing?"

"Just go see for yourself!"

Reluctantly, Wizardmon and Mummymon approached the wall to see what all the fuss was about...only to stop in surprise. "W-where did that come from?" stammered Wizardmon. "It wasn't here when I last visited."

"I...I don't know," breathed Mummymon, feeling awestruck. Carved into the wall in front of them was a mural depicting seven of the most evil-looking Digimon he had ever seen. There was a demonic crocodile with long jaws and two tails; a demonic-looking biker wielding twin pistols; a hooded and robed figure with curved horns and bat wings; a long-bearded staff-wielding man wearing a mask and cowl; a demonic six-winged bear-like creature wrapped in chains; an effeminate-looking young man with five angel wings on his left flank and five bat wings on his right; and what appeared to be the only female of the group who was clad in robes over a leather catsuit. All seven of them had a sly smile on their face, as though they were planning something unpleasant.

"See, what did I tell ya?" said Silphymon, catching up to his friends. "I discovered it early this morning - y'know I have a habit of wandering around the city when I can't sleep - and I wanted to show you guys before anyone else saw it. I'm thinking of making this my first case-" he paused for effect, then announced in a grand voice "- The Case of the Mysterious Carving! The Digital City PI Academy will HAVE to accept me if I solve this! Of course, I'll have to see if there've been any more carvings just showing up..."

Mummymon, who was used to Silphymon going into elaborate fantasies about what he'd do as a famous detective, tuned out the monologue, and sitting down on one of the benches provided for visitors, he unwrapped the bento box he'd carried all the way to the shrine and started to eat. Halfway through a sushi roll, he pulled a black cellphone from his pocket, flipped it open and opened the photo folder, where he pulled up his favorite picture. It was of a leaflet he'd been given at the local store, and it depicted a certain white-haired woman. It wasn't very elaborate - she was just holding a bottle of water and giving the camera a glossy (and possibly photo-shopped) smile - but to him it was more valuable than the most priceless oil painting in the world.

"Y'know, if she sees that, she'll probably think you've been stalking her."

"Wha-?!" The mummy nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Wizardmon's voice, and glared at his friend, who had sat down next to him. "Wiz, don't scare me like that! And don't look at my private pictures!"

"Sorry, but it's true," remarked the wizard, starting on his own bento. "Honestly, Mumm, I don't know why you don't just tell her you're in love with her."

Mummymon scoffed. "Oh yeah, that'd be an interesting conversation. 'Hey, I've loved you for ages, but you probably don't know who I am, but never mind, will you go out with me?' She'd think I was crazy." He sighed slightly. "Besides, what have I got to offer her? She's a super-wealthy heiress, and I'm...just a cook."

That's not true!" protested Silphymon, startling Mummymon for the second time in as many minutes. The Beast Man Digimon had wandered over to the other two and was stuffing the contents of his bento into his mouth as he stood over them. "I mean, so what if you're a cook?" he said between mouthfuls of rice. "You make the best food I've ever tasted! And anyway, you're not 'just a cook' - you're a chef in the fanciest restaurant around!"

"Thanks for that, Silph, but let's face it, it'd never work. Besides, I'd never get past the guards!"

"Oh, I don't know," said Wizardmon reassuringly. "It's like they say - impossible things are happening every day! By the way, Silph, you shouldn't eat while standing up - it's bad for your digestion."

"What are you, my dad? If I wanna -"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Three Digi-Stooges."

"Please tell me that's not who I think it is," growled Silphymon, clutching his chopsticks so hard they threatened to snap in two.

Wizardmon and Mummymon glanced over in the direction the voice had come from. Standing in the entrance to the main hall was a Digimon clad in blue-and-silver armor and a red-and-yellow loincloth, ten golden wings sprouting out of his back. "Hello, Seraphimon," Mummymon muttered reluctantly.

A particularly wealthy Digimon who lived in the upper-class area of Digital City, Seraphimon was a regular pain in the neck for the trio. Snobbish and rude, he would have been tolerable were it not for the fact that he treated Virus Digimon with as much respect as he gave the ground he walked on - in other words, none whatsoever.

"What are YOU doing here?!" demanded Silphymon.

Seraphimon turned towards him. "I don't think much of your attitude," he said snootily. "And anyway, I could ask you the same question."

_"We're_ having lunch," said Wizardmon icily. "What's YOUR excuse?"

"More bad manners, I see," the angel Digimon sighed mockingly. "I guess this is what comes from hanging around Viruses. But if you must know, I have an important job to do here."

"What sort of job?" Silphymon asked suspiciously.

"That's not your business, now is it?" retorted Seraphimon, but Mummymon could've sworn he saw the angel holding something that looked remarkably like a rolled-up sheet of paper.

Silphymon opened his mouth again, but before he could say anything, Wizardmon made a gesture with his hand and the Beast Man Digimon was grabbed by invisible hands, spun around and forced to sit down. "Don't bother responding to him, that'll just make things worse," the wizard hissed. "Just act as if he isn't here, and he'll do what he came here to do, then leave. We'll have to start heading back soon, anyway."

Grumbling slightly, the brown-and-white feathered Digimon nevertheless returned his attention to his lunch. Feeling glad that the tension in the room appeared to have eased, Mummymon finished his food, closed his bento box and with one final look at the photo on the screen, closed his cellphone. Before he could put it back in his pocket, however, he felt it being snatched from his hand.

"How old is this thing?" came a familiar snide voice from above his head. "Can't afford a new phone?"

"Hey!" Mummymon snapped, jumping to his feet and sending his empty bento clattering to the ground, glaring at the angel who was hovering a few feet off the ground. "Give that back!" He didn't like confrontation, but he had to get his phone back.

"Hmmm...no, don't think I will," purred Seraphimon lazily. "But if you want it, come get it." With that, he flew over to the stone wall, and held the phone out.

The undead Digimon darted over to the wall, but as he tried to grab the phone, Seraphimon lifted it out of his reach. "What's the matter, Virus?" the angel sneered. "Can't reach it? Of course, if you were really that desperate to get it back, you'd put up a fight - oh wait, I was forgetting, you can't because you don't have any powers!" He laughed nastily. "Bad enough that you were born a Virus, but to be born powerless as well?! I knew you were pathetic, but really-"

"Magical Game!"

Seraphimon let out a yelp of shock and pain as a bolt of lightning struck his hand, forcing him to drop the phone into Mummymon's outstretched palm. Rubbing his hand, the angel glared over at Wizardmon, who had stood up and pulled out his magic staff.

"That's enough, Seraphimon!" Wizardmon said angrily. "Now, if you please, do what you came here to do and leave! We didn't come here to be bullied!"

Seraphimon thought for a moment. He could easily take on the trio, seeing as how only two were Ultimates while he was a Mega, and one of those Ultimates was powerless, but the wizard possessed some powerful magic and could effortlessly cast a spell which would do something unpleasant to him, and if somebody else came along it might be another Mega who would decide to intervene on the trio's behalf. He decided it was better not to risk it.

"Fine," he muttered, pulling out the rolled-up paper and tying it to one of the pegs. His task completed, he landed on the ground near Mummymon, who had just finished putting his phone back in his pocket. "Out of the way, Virus." With that, he grabbed Mummymon's shoulder and shoved him hard against the wall. The mon slid to the ground, yelping slightly as his face was scraped against the cold, hard stone.

"Are you OK?!" gasped Wizardmon, hurrying over to him.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit - OW - scraped up," Mummymon hissed, pulling himself into a sitting position. Feeling a dampness on the right side of his face, he raised a hand to it, only to see that his fingers were covered in blood as he pulled his hand away. "OK, make that a LOT scraped up."

"Hold still." Summoning his power, Wizardmon made some motions with his hands. A small green orb appeared, and he thrust it into Mummymon's face, the energy causing the grey-skinned Digimon to tremble slightly. "Does that feel better?"

Lifting his clean hand to his face, Mummymon lowered it and noted with satisfaction that the blood flow had stopped. "Much," he nodded as he slowly got to his feet, frowning at the blood stain on the carving_. I hope that can be washed off._ He was about to ask Wizardmon if he could conjure up a bucket of warm water and a sponge, when he saw something that made him do a double-take...at least he THOUGHT he saw it.

_Did that hooded Digimon's eyes just glow?_

"Hey, Wiz?" said Mummymon slowly, aware that what he was about to say might sound completely and utterly crazy, "Did you see that?"

"See what?" asked Wizardmon in confusion, wondering if his friend was more injured than he'd claimed.

Mummymon was wondering how to put his next sentence into words that didn't make him sound mad, when he heard a low growling noise. Startled, he looked over at Silphymon, who had gotten to his feet and was glaring at the departing Seraphimon with pure, unbridled rage, fists clenched and his body shaking with fury. "Silph?"

"Hey, you!" The Beast Man Digimon seized a handful of tempura from his abandoned lunch, drew back his arm and threw it as hard as he could at the angel's back. It hit the back of Seraphimon's helmet with a wet 'splat', causing the angel to stop, raise a hand to the mess, and turn back to the angry Silphymon.

"I suppose there was a reason for that, other than to annoy me?"

"Too right there was!" snapped Silphymon. "You just pushed my friend over!"

"So?" the angel asked in a bored tone.

"So, I think you'd better apologize."

There was a moment's silence, then Seraphimon burst out laughing, only for his amusement to die almost instantly when he noticed he was the only one doing so. "Sweet Azulongmon, you're serious."

"Of COURSE I'm serious!" said Silphymon angrily.

"Silph, calm down," urged Mummymon, rising to his feet. "It doesn't matter."

The brown-and-white feathered Digimon shook his head. "It DOES matter, Mummymon. YOU may not care about the way he treats you, but I do!" He turned his attention back to Seraphimon. "There was no need for you to push him over - you could have gone around the other way, or even _flown_ out of here! Now, APOLOGIZE!"

The angel appeared to consider this for a moment. "Hmmm...how can I put this? No."

"That wasn't a request," Silphymon growled through gritted teeth.

Seraphimon tutted, putting a hand on his hip. "If you're trying to scare me, it won't work. May I remind you, I am a Mega, while you are a mere Ultimate?"

"I don't care if you're the emperor of the Digital World! APOLOGIZE!"

"Silphymon, that's enough!" said Wizardmon, grabbing his friend's arm.

"No, let the fool dig himself deeper," said Seraphimon dismissively. "It won't change anything, anyway. I have many things to do today, and none of them involve apologizing to a stupid, worthless, unimportant Virus."

"Ok, that's it!" snarled Silphymon, wrenching his arm free.

"SILPH, NO!" screamed Wizardmon, but if the Ultimate heard him he gave no indication of having done so.

"Static Force!" the Beast Man Digimon yelled, summoning a sphere of pink energy between his hands and throwing it as hard as he could towards the angel. Unfortunately, it didn't have the effect he'd hoped for, as Seraphimon calmly stretched out a hand, grabbed the attack and flung it straight back at Silphymon, causing him to slam into the wall. With an angry growl, the brown-and-white feathered Digimon pulled himself to his feet and shouted, "Astral Laser!" He thrust his arms forward, and a duplicate of himself made of bright pink light shot towards his opponent.

Seraphimon wasn't so lucky this time, and it struck him full in the chest. As he staggered back clutching his sore spot, Silphymon prepared to summon another Static Force, but before he could do anything, his arms were seized by Wizardmon and Mummymon. "Hey! What do you guys think you're doing?!"

"What do YOU think you're doing?!" snapped Wizardmon. "What exactly is THIS gonna achieve?!"

"It'll teach him some manners, that's what! Now let go!"

"NO!"

"Silph, please," Mummymon implored. "I'm glad you're standing up for me, but I never asked you to fight Seraphimon! Maybe you'd better stop before someone gets hurt."

"And that someone is going to be him!" snarled Seraphimon, any amusement he might have felt now gone. "STRIKE OF THE SEVEN STARS!" Motioning with his hands, the angel created seven orbs of super-heated sacred light, and fired them towards the trio.

Quickly, Wizardmon waved his staff and conjured up a protective energy shield which completely covered himself and his friends. The orbs struck the shield and ricocheted...

...slamming into the wooden walls of the hall.

Almost immediately, the heat ignited the dry wood and the flames became a raging inferno. Smoke began to fill the room, threatening to blur their vision, and a creaking sound above their heads indicated that the rafters holding up the roof were in danger of giving way. If they didn't leave now, they'd either burn, suffocate or be buried alive.

"Quick, cover your faces and run for it!" yelled Wizardmon, throwing two over-sized handkerchiefs to his friends and tying one over his own mouth. When they had complied, he rapidly muttered a spell which caused the end of his staff to light up and the trio sprinted towards the entrance. As they passed the bench, Mummymon paused to snatch up the abandoned bento boxes, before being grabbed by the arm and yanked along by Silphymon - and not a moment too soon, as a burning rafter crashed down where the cyclops had been but a second ago. Picking up the pace, they threw themselves out of the main hall just as the rest of the roof collapsed (Seraphimon had already fled).

Gasping for breath, Mummymon pulled himself to his hands and knees, and removed the cloth from his face. "Are...are you guys...ok?" he choked out.

"I'm fine," said Wizardmon, pulling himself to his feet and helping Silphymon up. "Are you ok, Silph?"

The Beast Man Digimon nodded, coughing slightly. "Yeah, I'm fine," he replied, slapping his chest. "Just fine."

"Good. That means I won't feel guilty about doing this." And he hit Silphymon over the head with his staff.

"YEOW!" shrieked Silphymon, rubbing his head. "What was _that_ for?!"

"That was for starting a fight!" the wizard snapped. "Now look what you've done!" He gestured at the burning shrine.

"Um...guys?" began Mummymon.

"What I'VE done?!" squawked Silphymon. "Seraphimon's the one who started the fire - why am _I_ getting the blame?!"

"He only started the fire because YOU insisted on provoking him! What were you thinking?!"

"In case it escaped your attention, I was defending our friend!" the brown-and-white feathered Digimon shouted. "I didn't see YOU stepping up to do it!"

"Guys?" Mummymon tried again.

"Mumm can defend himself!" said Wizardmon angrily.

"Then why didn't he?!"

"Because he knows better than to let somebody like Seraphimon get to him!"

"Hah!" scoffed Silphymon. "You mean he didn't stand up for himself because he's a wimp! Everybody knows that!"

"Silph! How - "

"GUYS!" the grey-skinned Digimon yelled at the top of his voice, causing his friends to stop their argument and look at him in surprise. "Hadn't we better get out of here?" he asked, bending down to pick up the bento boxes he'd dropped. "I mean, the police will probably show up soon, and if they catch us, we'll get in big trouble."

"I guess you're right," Wizardmon nodded reluctantly. "I can't say I'm happy about it, but I'd rather not have to answer any awkward questions - not to mention, we're probably gonna be late back at work, as it is." Ignoring Silphymon's muttered remarks about Digimon who really needed to sort out their priorities, he grabbed the Beast Man Digimon's arm and quickly broke into a run again, Mummymon following in their wake. They were forced to slow their pace, however, when they reached the stone steps, in order to descend without hurting themselves.

Mummymon never understood why he did what he did next - maybe it was fate, maybe it was instinct, maybe it was guilt. Whatever the reason, he glanced over his shoulder for one last look at the shrine...only to see something that made him stop and do his second double-take of the day. Although the smoke had grown thicker, he could just about make out the shape of what appeared to be a group of shadowy figures standing atop what remained of the roof - a vaguely familiar group of figures...

"Mummymon?" Wizardmon's voice cut into his thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" Coming back to his senses, Mummymon blinked hard and shook his head; when he looked again, the shadows had disappeared. Deciding he must have imagined them, he turned his attention back to his friends, who had reached the bottom of the steps and were looking up at him in concern. "Oh, nothing!" he replied, carefully hurrying to catch up with them.

* * *

_Perched on his second rooftop of the day, he tried to ignore the tantalizing aromas wafting from inside the building, as well as his stomach reminding him how empty it felt, and dimly reflected on his decision to switch forms. While it had helped in some ways - his ability to fly above the crowds had made him less conspicuous, apart from when he had to dodge a group of flying Digimon - it had proved no use whatsoever in finding the three the crystal had indicated, nor had it helped him narrow down which one he was supposed to aid. Thinking it through now, perhaps it would have been a better idea to change form the moment he arrived in this world. Well, it was no good worrying about the 'what-could-have-beens' and 'might-have-happeneds' now._

_Pushing his concerns to the back of his mind, he gazed grimly at the column of smoke rising from the hill on the outskirts of town. He knew what was burning, had known the moment he saw the thick black vapor, and he knew that he was not permitted to intervene, and yet it did nothing to ease the frustration he felt at knowing what was happening but being unable to do anything about it._

_If only the crystals had told Her Ladyship otherwise. If only there was another way. If only he dared defy fate..._

_And now he was starting to sound like Examon and questioning Her Ladyship's decrees._

_Adamantly, he forced those thoughts out of his head. After several centuries defending this world from behind the scenes and facing many foes, some more deadly than others, he should look upon this problem as just that, (he told himself) - another foe to be overcome. And yet, this particular 'foe' was perhaps far more dangerous than any other he had encountered, for if Her Ladyship was right (and he had no memory of her ever being wrong before) there was too much at stake for him to mess up._

_Not that he was worried about his own safety, mind you. He could never hope to equal Her Ladyship in power, of course, but as one of the lucky few chosen to be a member of Her elite order, he was reasonably confident that his skills were enough to defend himself and others - had he not already proven that numerous times already, both in combat and in sparring with his fellow knights? No, his concern was for the inhabitants of this world. They had powers, yes (as he had seen many times during his search), but he knew too well from past events that none of them stood a chance of defeating...THEM._

_If he didn't succeed in his task, then what would happen? Did it even bare thinking about?_

_No. That would NOT happen. He would NOT fail._

_With determination surging through him, he pulled out the crystal and held it up to the sky, silently willing it to start glowing again, secretly hoping it would obey his unspoken entreaties and privately acknowledging the ludicrousness of expecting such a thing._

_Then he saw it. For the second time that day, a gentle light was radiating from the gem. Even as he stared at it, the glow became stronger by the second._

_The crystals did not possess the ability to take orders from anyone, he was aware. Oh, they had some powers, yes, but listening to Digimon was not one of them. And yet, as he levitated himself upwards, he couldn't help wondering if there was more to them than he'd always believed._

_Sure enough, the three he'd tried to pursue earlier were approaching the building. But something had changed since he last saw them. Whereas before they had appeared to be friendly with each other, if not outright friends, now they were moody and sullen - at least, the brown-and-white feathered one and the short one did; the grey-skinned one appeared to be trying to get them to talk to each other, with no success. He couldn't make out what the mon was saying from this height, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that something terrible had happened - the question was, what?_

_His musings were interrupted by an angry shout from below. Looking down, he saw a large egg with dinosaur legs heading towards the trio, and while he couldn't make out what it was saying from this height, he had a strong suspicion that it wasn't anything pleasant. Flying a little lower, he was quickly proved right as the sounds of furious ranting drifted upwards, and he managed to catch a few words of the 'conversation'._

_"- late! What am I paying you three for?!"_

_"Please, Digitamamon-san, take it easy." (He couldn't quite ascertain which of the trio had spoken, but he thought it was the short one)._

_"Don't tell me what to do! I did NOT hire you to talk back to me! I deserve respect, and respect is what I will have! Is that clear?!" (The response was inaudible from where he hovered, but the egg appeared to be satisfied, as its next words were spoken in a somewhat quieter tone). "Very good. Now get to work!" (Obediently, the feathered one and the short one started to make their way towards the building, but just as the grey-skinned one was about to follow them, the egg blocked the way). "Not so fast! I'd like a word with you."_

_Narrowing his eyes, he let out a low growl of annoyance as the grey-skinned one gestured for the other two to go on ahead. He was really starting to dislike this...Digitamamon. Yes, it was clearly the trio's supervisor, but-_

_Wait a minute._

_His displeasure vanished as he realized that, with the trio currently separated, this might be a chance to get an answer to his question. Willing himself to stay calm, he cast a furtive look at the crystal...and it was glowing so brightly, he was surprised nobody had looked up to see what was causing such a vivid radiance._

_A little mental process of elimination quickly followed. Obviously, the egg had not caused it (that was impossible, as it would have contradicted all the evidence he had seen so far), and a glance over his shoulder confirmed that the other members of the trio had just entered the building, which meant..._

_This grey-skinned one was the one he had been looking for._

_The question was, what was he going to do now? He could hardly fly down and introduce himself - what would he say? 'Hi, I'm a being from another dimension dedicated to protecting the Digital World, and I need you to become a super-powered warrior to fight a great evil'? That wouldn't go over well at all. Of course, considering what was being asked of the Chosen One, the chances of ANYTHING he said going over well were slim to non-existent. Even if the grey-skinned one DID jump at the call, it was probably a bad idea to try and engage in a tête-à-tête of this sort in company._

_As he was puzzling over what to do, however, he noticed that the crystal's glow had dulled slightly. Mentally cursing himself for getting distracted, he glanced down in time to see the grey-skinned one and the egg disappear into the building, their little talk clearly having finished._

_Well, it looked like the choice had been made for him. A pity that HE couldn't have made it, but there was no point moping about things after they happened. He was just going to have to bide his time a little longer until he could speak to the Chosen One alone._

_Sighing, he reluctantly fluttered back down onto the roof, settling himself down for what might be a long wait. At least now, he could use the time to figure out what he was going to say._

* * *

"Ah, the end of another working day! What could be better?" remarked Silphymon, stretching languorously. "Well, aside from payday, of course, but hey! Y'can't have it all at once."

"Uh-huh," Mummymon muttered, only half-listening as he undid the lock on his bike. Wizardmon had left a few minutes ago, having stubbornly continued to refuse to speak to his fellow waiter for the rest of the day (other than to exchange a simple 'goodbye').

Seemingly oblivious to the lack of interest he was receiving, Silphymon continued. "Not that I'm obsessed with money, mind you, but you've gotta admit, that paycheck _does_ come in useful."

"Uh-huh."

"Mind you, when I become a super-famous PI, I probably won't have to worry about a wage, what with all my rich clients paying me about three times what I'm earning now."

"Uh-huh." The mummy stood up and slipped the bike lock into his pocket.

The feathered Digimon folded his arms across his chest. "You're not listening to me, are you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Your cooking sucks."

"Uh-huh." Mummymon removed his bicycle from the rack.

Silphymon smirked slightly. "Arukenimon thinks you're cute."

That had the desired effect. The cyclops whirled round faster than a tornado to face him. "S-she really said that?!" he spluttered, his eye widening.

The Beast Man Digimon shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

The grey-skinned Digimon frowned in annoyance. "Y'know, that wasn't funny."

"Well that's good, 'cause I was being serious! You've had a crush on her for the past, what, seventeen years or so - "

"Actually, it's more like seven."

"Whatever! The point is, isn't it time to tell her how you feel about her?"

Mummymon facepalmed. "Silph, were you even listening to what I told Wizardmon at the shrine?"

"Uh, yeah, the shrine," muttered Silphymon - for some reason, he looked uncomfortable. "Um...about that..."

Mummymon continued as if he hadn't spoken. "There's no point getting my hopes up about something that might never happen. Not every rainbow has a pot of gold at the end of it, y'know."

"Right. Now, about the shrine..."

"I know, I know," the cyclops waved his hand with a small smile, "No doubt you're going to start naming all my good qualities - "

"Actually, I - "

"And I appreciate that, I really do, but - " Mummymon was cut off as Silphymon leaned forward slightly and grabbed his tongue.

"If you're quite finished putting yourself down, there's something I'd like to say, if that's ok with you?" At the slight nod he received, the feathered Digimon released his friend's tongue and took a nervous breath. "I...I..." He swallowed. "...um...I'm sorry."

Mummymon blinked in surprise. "Well, I'm glad, I guess, but there's no reason to look so guilty. I mean, what you just did WAS impolite, but I'm not gonna hold it against you all your life."

"Huh?" Now Silphymon looked surprised, but he quickly shook his head. "No, Mumm, that's not what I meant."

"Then what - "

"What I said earlier...at the shrine...I didn't mean it." Glancing at his friend, who was still looking confused, Silphymon plowed on. "I mean, I was really mad at Seraphimon and his taunting - and I swear, I have no idea why I did what I did," he hastened to add. "I was just so...so angry. I-it's like somebody was...encouraging me to attack him, to make him pay for what he said. And when Wiz started blaming me for the fire - "

"Er, I hate to interrupt you, but is there a point to this?"

Silphymon sighed. "What I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry. For what I called you. You're not a wimp, and I shouldn't have said that you were."

"Oh, that." Mummymon shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Silph. I know I'm not exactly the most manliest of mon - in fact," he sniggered slightly, "Sometimes I think maybe I should've been hatched a female."

Silphymon was silent for a moment, then he chuckled slightly, folding his arms across. "Well, you may not be a wimp, but you're definitely too nice for your own good."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!"

"I'm not joking, Mummymon! When's the last time you ever got mad at anyone?"

"Um..."

"Thought so."

Mummymon exhaled, and looked at his watch. "Listen, Silph, I'd like to stay here chatting with you all night, but I kinda havta get home, y'know?" With that, he mounted his bike. "I'll see you tomorrow!" he called, waving a hand as he pedaled away, his friend's farewell ringing in his ears.

As Mummymon made his way home, he found his thoughts drifting to the thing that had subconsciously been nagging at the back of his mind since lunch - those strange figures he had seen at the shrine.

Or _had_ he seen them? There HAD been a lot of smoke, after all, and he couldn't ignore the possibility that it had just been a figment of his imagination (it was certainly more reassuring than the alternative, which was that he was starting to go insane). Although, there was also the whole "glowing eyes" thing - but that could have been a trick of the light, right?

Yeah, that was probably it, he decided as he braked at the traffic lights. After all, it HAD been a pretty busy day, what with the lunchtime rush, and (he blushed at the memory) having to serve the love of his life, then the whole shrine thing...

Wait...

The mon blinked hard and shook his head as he realized what he had just thought. Hadn't Silph said something about feeling as though he was being told to attack Seraphimon? Why -

A loud honking sound cut through Mummymon's train of thought, and he glanced back to see a white convertible behind him, the driver clearly impatient to drive on. "Er...sorry!" he called, cycling away quickly as the driver shook their fist and shouted a lot of angry words that were unrepeatable in polite company. Once safely away from the mon he had unintentionally angered, his thoughts returned to his previous inner monologue.

In all the time he had been friends with Silphymon, he had never known the mon to just snap and attack somebody. Not that the Beast Man Digimon was particularly even-tempered, of course, but he wasn't the type to fly into a blind rage - while he didn't have much patience with anyone who took a pleasure in bullying people, he was more likely to exchange a few heated comments before dishing out a large dose of karma in the form of a humiliating prank than he was to resort to violence. And what was it he had said during his apology?

_"I was just so...so angry. I-it's like somebody was...encouraging me to attack him, to make him pay for what he said..."_

For a moment, Mummymon wondered if Silphymon had been lying, but he quickly dismissed the thought. The feathered mon had been known to stretch the truth, but he had never claimed to have been possessed before, so unless he was trying to hide something (which admittedly wasn't too out of the question - when push came to shove, didn't everyone act out of character when they tried to hide something that wasn't the norm?) perhaps he really HAD been bewitched.

But if he had, then WHO had done it? Neither Wizardmon or Mummymon were endowed with that sort of power, and they would certainly never dream of influencing their friend like that. Seraphimon? No; while he might be powerful and nasty enough to do something like that, he surely wouldn't use it if he knew that he was the intended target. Which meant...

Which meant that maybe Mummymon HADN'T been imagining things when he saw that carving's eyes glow. And that could only mean...

For the second time since starting his ride home, his thoughts were interrupted as the bike's wheel hit a pothole, causing the machine to flip and throw its rider off. With a yelp of surprise, Mummymon found himself flying through the air and slamming face first into a pair of garbage cans outside a small deli. Groaning, he slowly pulled himself to his feet, only to nearly fall down again as a sharp pain shot through his ankle. Leaning on the wall for support, he managed to keep himself steady as he looked down, hoping to find something he could use as a crutch. _I just HAD to leave the cane at home today, didn't I?_

A loud hooting caught his attention, and looking back at the road, he spotted a sixteen-wheeler headed towards his bike. Letting out another yelp, he pushed himself away from the wall, swaying slightly, and waved his arms as he tried to move fast enough to get to his mode of transport. "HEY, WAIT -!"

But the driver either didn't hear him or chose to ignore him. With a sickening CRUNCH, the truck slammed into the bike, crushing it beneath its wheels and catapulting it through the air before it landed at its owner's feet. "Of course," he sighed.

The streets were mostly empty this time of night, the only light coming from streetlamps, and the only Digimon out and about were those who were heading home after working late, or in the case of those on night shift, headed to work. It was perhaps fortunate that there were few Digimon around, as it meant that nobody had seen his accident. Of course, it also meant that he had to struggle to pick up the bike and start wheeling it home by himself - a task that was hindered slightly by both his twisted ankle and the fact that the impact had bent one of the wheels. "What else could go wrong?" he muttered dolefully.

As if the Digi-Gods had heard him, the heavens opened up and it started pelting down with rain. "I had to ask."

So much for two-wheeled sufficiency, he sullenly added to himself half an hour later, when he had made it as far as the end of the street, with another five miles to go before he reached the warmth and dryness of home. Shielding his face, he glanced up at the sky and noted that the downpour didn't look like it was going to ease up anytime soon. He was going to have to find someplace to shelter until it either eased up or stopped completely.

Looking around, he spotted an empty abandoned hardware store a few feet away. It had been boarded up, but the planks that had been nailed across the door had been wrenched away by some other mon who had chosen to take refuge there, and the door itself was long gone. Not his first choice, perhaps, but it would have to do.

Staggering over to the store, he hobbled over the threshold, rested his bike against what remained of the door jamb, and slowly lowered himself until he was seated on the floor. "Well, at least nothing else can happen to me tonight," he grumbled, rubbing his sore ankle.

"Dori?"

The sound was so quiet that he thought he had imagined it at first. Just as he decided that he had, however, he heard it again, but this time it was accompanied by a small shuffling noise from deeper inside the building, as if someone - or someTHING - was approaching.

Trying to ignore the urge to jump to his feet and run as far away as he could (which would have been impossible in his present condition), Mummymon nervously cleared his throat. "Hello?" he called, privately hoping that whatever was in the shadows wasn't malicious. "Is somebody there?"

No answer. Maybe it was scared?

"Hey, um, if you're afraid of me, you don't havta be. I mean, I don't bite or anything."

Still nothing. _But I could've sworn...am I going mad?_

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind, however, than he spotted a movement out of the corner of his eye. Startled, he made to stand up, but before he could so much as blink, it came fully into his field of vision. What he saw surprised him.

He had been expecting something, if not completely dangerous, unhappy at the intrusion into its domain. Instead, staring up at him with large black eyes was a small purple fox-like creature with spiked ears and a small tail. It blinked politely, then closed its eyes and squealed happily, "DORI!"

"Um, hi?" Cautiously, Mummymon reached out a hand to pet it, but it let out a small squeak and darted away into the shadows until only its jewel-bright eyes could be seen.

"No no, it's ok! I'm not gonna hurt you," he called out softly and reassuringly. Reaching into his pocket for his bento box, he pulled out an onigiri he hadn't eaten at lunch, and held it out to the little Digimon (at least, he assumed it was a Digimon). "Are you hungry?"

Slowly, the creature crept forward, staring at the rice ball the mummy was holding. Climbing onto his leg (Mummymon suppressed a wince, wishing that it hadn't chosen his injured ankle), it took a careful nibble. Almost immediately, its eyes grew wider, if that were possible, and it squealed again before tugging the onigiri out of the grey-skinned mon's hand and devouring it as if it hadn't eaten in days. Finishing, it licked the few remaining flecks of rice from around its mouth, and nuzzled against his ankle.

Despite being cold, wet, sore and a little hungry himself, Mummymon couldn't help but laugh slightly. "So you enjoyed that, huh?"

A happy nod. "Dori!"

"Well, glad to hear it, but - " Glancing outside, he saw that the rain had lessened to a mere drizzle. "I'm really sorry, but I havta get home, so..." Picking up the little creature, he gently placed it on the floor beside him, and placed his hand on the wall, intending to use it to hold himself up. As he pushed himself upwards, however, he noticed something strange - his ankle, which had been twinging ever since he'd twisted it, had stopped aching. Cautiously letting go of the wall, he took a step forward, then another. "Hey, it doesn't hurt to walk anymore! Great, now maybe I'll get home before sunrise."

Grabbing the bike, he started out of the door, but a sharp tugging on his leg made him stop in his tracks. Looking down, he saw the little creature holding onto his pant leg, gazing at him as though begging him to take it with him.

Sighing, Mummymon knelt to face it. "Look, I'm happy you liked my food, but I can't bring you home with me."

"Dori?" The creature's ears drooped slightly.

"I'm sure your family will be here to fetch you soon...if you HAVE a family, that is."

"Ri?"

"No, it's nothing against you personally - "

"Dori?" To his alarm, he saw tears welling up in the little mon's eyes. "Oh no, don't cry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

"Ri." It hopped into his lap and nudged him gently before staring up at him again, that pleading look still on its face.

Maybe Silphymon was right. Maybe he WAS too nice for his own good.

* * *

"Well, here we are! Mi casa es su casa, or however the saying goes."

Putting the little Digimon on the floor of the small apartment he called home, Mummymon straightened up and flicked on the hall light, before checking his watch. "Just got time for a bite to eat before bed. Better see what there is," he murmured, heading towards the kitchen.

A quick rummage through the cupboards and fridge produced nothing but a sack of rice, a packet of instant ramen and a couple of eggs. While it could've been worse (ramen was one of his favorite foods), the sorry state of his provisions suggested that he'd be eating rice until he had a chance to go to the store - and with another mouth to feed, who knew how long it would last?

Shoving the depressing thought from his mind, he set to work: filling a couple of saucepans with water; putting them on the stove to boil; adding the ramen and rice, as well as a few seasonings. While waiting for the meager meal to be ready, he gave his bento box a quick clean rise and wipe-over with a cloth before making his way into the living room. Grabbing a blanket that had been slung over the back of a chair, he folded it up and placed it on the sofa, turning his attention to the creature who had been standing in the doorway. "You're gonna have to sleep here tonight, little guy - are you a guy? Anyway, you'll have to sleep here until I can get a basket or something for you. Is that ok?"

"Dori!" A happy nod.

"Well, that's good."

The sound of a hiss caught his attention, and he darted back into the kitchen in time to turn the stove off. Adding the eggs to the ramen (they would cook as he ate), he transferred the food to a couple of bowls, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and returned to the living room. Sinking into an armchair, he placed the rice in front of the little Digimon and started on the ramen.

As Mummymon ate, he contemplated his new roommate, who was guzzling away at the plain rice as though it were the most expensive gourmet meal in the world. He had to admit, he certainly hadn't planned on inviting anyone to live with him, especially not an orphaned Baby/In-Training/whatever it was, but of all the strange things that had happened to him today, this was perhaps the most normal - as long as he didn't get arrested for kidnapping, that was.

Briefly, he wondered if the creature had deliberately sort him out, but he quickly rejected that idea. It was just a coincidence, that was all. After all, just because one of his friends may or may not have been possessed, and he may or may not have seen a group of shadowy figures, it didn't mean that the universe had some great plan for him - did it?

"Dori?"

"Hmm?" Looking over at the little mon, he saw it had finished the rice and was now staring at him with a concerned look on its face. "Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking." He paused, tilting his head to one side. "So...do you have a name?"

A polite blink was his only response.

"Um...not to be personal, but can you talk properly?"

A blank stare.

"Guess that's a 'no', Well, I can't keep calling you 'you', can I?" For a moment, he was quiet, thinking. Then his face lit up. "Is it OK if I call you Dori?"

The little mon looked as though it was doing some thinking of its own, then it nodded so fast its head was almost a blur.

Mummymon laughed softly. "I guess life just got a little more interesting."

If only he had known then just how interesting life was going to get!

* * *

Far, far away, in a dark underground throne room...

"It's good ta be back!" exclaimed the demonic biker, stretching out his limbs. "I thought we'd never get free!"

"Speak for yourself, Beelzemon," yawned the little demonic teddy bear-esque creature who was hovering at his side. "I was having such a wonderful few centuries worth of uninterrupted sleep, and I'd like to get back to it."

"Eh, you're always tired, Belphemon," Beelzemon scoffed, advancing up the roughly-hewed stone steps to one of the carved stone thrones and sinking down onto it, hooking one leg over the armrest and leaning back lazily. "Even when we were free the first time, you were always complain' 'bout how sleepy you were." He snapped his fingers, and a large pile of umeboshi appeared on the floor next to him. Grabbing a fistful of the dried plums, he stuffed them into his mouth (ignoring Belphemon's snort of disgust), chewing nosily. Swallowing his mouthful, he grabbed some more fruit, but before he could eat any of them, they were snatched from his hand.

"MINE!" snarled the robed figure, clutching them to his chest as though they were priceless treasures.

"HEY!" screeched Beelzemon, jumping to his feet. "Give those back, Barbamon!"

"No! They're mine! Just like this is mine!" And with that, Barbamon practically threw himself onto the throne Beelzemon had just vacated.

Growling, Beelzemon pulled a pistol out of hammerspace and pointed it at Barbamon. "Hand 'em over, or I'm gonna - "

"HAMMER KNUCKLE!"

The biker yelped as a pair of lilac fists slammed into his skull, causing him to stagger. With a hiss of pain and fury, he turned to glare at his attacker. "What was that for?!"

"So you'd shut up!" snapped the hooded Digimon, folding his arms across his chest. "Can't you two find anything else to argue about? It's always the same accursed thing, and it's driving me crazy!"

"Who asked YOUR opinion, Creepymon?" Beelzemon retaliated, rubbing his head.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!" roared the Digimon. A bright red aura engulfed him, seemingly filling the entire throne room. When it faded, he had transformed into a large red-furred demon with large black spiked wings, sharp red claws on his fingers and toes, and a black ring around his right ankle. "I'll show you! SLASH NAIL!" He raked his claws through the air - if Beelzemon and Barbamon hadn't dodged, they would have been badly injured, or worse.

"Now, now, Daemon," purred a sultry feminine voice. "Surely we can deal with this in a more mature fashion?" The only female of the group slunk forward, swaying her hips slightly. "After all, doubtless a big strong handsome Digimon like you doesn't care what others say about him?"

Breathing hard, the demon seemed to consider what she had just said. "Well..."

"Come now," she leaned against his leg and stroked it sensuously. "I'm sure I can help...take your mind off of things."

Daemon growled slightly, but nodded, slowly sinking back into his hooded form. "You were lucky that time," he hissed at Beelzemon and Barbamon, who were picking themselves up from the floor.

"Hey!" All eyes turned towards the large red crocodile who had just jumped up from the raised platform that served as his throne. "How come Daemon gets Lilithmon flirting with him?! What's he got that I haven't?!"

Lilithmon turned to face him. "Leviamon, if you haven't figured it out after all this time, I'm not going to spell it out for you."

"That's not fair!"

"I'll say!" agreed Barbamon. "Especially since she's mine!"

The woman turned her attention to him, growling. "Let's get this straight, _Barbamon," _she spat, "I wouldn't be yours if you were the last mon in the Digital World. In fact, if you _were_ the last mon in the Digital World, I'd probably kill myself - or you."

"Liar! You're mine! All of you are mine!"

"Get over yourself," yawned Belphemon, wrapping himself in the blanket he'd just conjured up.

"Why you little - "

"Enough."

The word was not spoken with any harshness or volume, but the minute the quarreling Digimon heard it, they immediately quieted down and snapped to attention (even Belphemon) as the last member of the group and the only Ultimate made his way towards them. "Honestly," he sighed, "it disgusts me that one as magnificent and wonderful as myself is surrounded by the likes of you."

"Well, ya don't havta stay with us," grumbled Barbamon, only to let out a yelp as he was kicked by Lilithmon.

"Lord Lucemon," she murmured as she sank into a bow, followed by the other Digimon.

The ten-winged Digimon gave no indication that he'd heard them as he ascended the steps to the most elaborate throne of all, made out of white marble, inlaid with golden branches and decorated with a rainbow of jewels. Seating himself upon this throne, he took in a breath of the cold air that filled the chamber and cast his gaze on the others.

"My fellow Demon Lords," he began, "we are free."

"Tell us summat we don't know, why doncha?" muttered Beelzemon. Lucemon cast a dark look at him before waving his hand. The biker let out a rasping cough as he grabbed at his throat, his tongue having grown to twice its size.

"If nobody else wishes to interrupt?" the demonic angel said acidly. Upon seeing his fellow Lords shake their heads, he leaned back slightly and tented his fingers. "Now, as I was saying, after five thousand years we are free. Free to once again conquer this pathetic little dimension known as the Digital World, to once again cast our mighty shadows upon this and all worlds, to once again take our place as the true and only rulers of the plains of existence."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" demanded Daemon. "Let's get out there and crush those pathetic little inhabitants of this world beneath our heels! Let's obliterate them! Let's - "

"Silence." Another wave of Lucemon's hand, and a second Demon Lord had to deal with a tongue that was longer than it should be. "While I am as eager as any of you to begin our conquest, I am fully aware of three things. First, it has been five millennia since we walked this earth, and time as well as civilization has surely progressed. Second, after all this time imprisoned, none of us are as powerful as we were in the days when the Digital World was ours, although I am obviously far more powerful than the rest of you. And third, we lack that which is most necessary to our evil plans."

This time, no-one spoke out of turn. Instead, Lilithmon stepped forward and sank to one knee. "Forgive me for asking, oh Lucemon, but am I correct in assuming that you refer to the Destiny Stones?"

"What else? For it is only with their power that we shall restore the Great One to his former glory, and resume our rightful places. In our present state, our only advantage is that accursed Yggdrasil," he spat the words as though they were a disgusting curse, "and her pathetic Royal Knights are unaware of our presence."

"But w-what if they d-d-do find out?" yawned Belphemon widely.

"Nonsense! If I say that they are unaware of us then they are unaware, and I must be right, because I am a genius." Lucemon pursed his lips. "However, on the very slim chance that they are, we must not operate directly for a while, and as such our little search must be postponed for now. This will give us time to regain our former strength, and to find out how the world has changed since our imprisonment." Gripping the arms of the throne, he pushed himself to his feet. "Now, which of us shall unleash the first Yaijumon?"

Various cries of "ME!" filled the chamber, as well as two muffled shouts from Beelzemon and Daemon. The only exception was Belphemon, who rolled over and fell into a deep slumber.

"I was afraid of this happening," sighed Lucemon, the look on his face implying the exact opposite. "Well, since we cannot reach an agreement, I suppose I shall have to do it."

"WHAT?!" squawked Leviamon. "Why do YOU get to unleash it?! I'm just as good as you!"

"Because," said Lucemon calmly, "I am the leader of this group of demons, and I alone shall make the decision as to who sends out our little...creations."

"And, forgive me for asking, but why must we wait to search for the Destiny Stones?" asked Lilithmon.

"Because, my dear Lilithmon," replied Lucemon, shooting Leviamon a dangerous look as the crocodile growled in envy, "we must first find out exactly who, or what, guards this Digital World. Yggdrasil Herself cannot leave her realm for too long, and none of her Knights would even dream of deserting her, but that does not mean she would leave her followers unprotected."

A stifled growl from Daemon caught his attention, and with a third wave of his hand the hooded Digimon's tongue shrank back to it's normal size, as did Beelzemon's. "If you do that again, I'll - " snarled Daemon threateningly, while the biker took advantage of having a normal tongue again to jump into the pile of umeboshi and stuff them into his mouth as though he hadn't eaten for a week.

"You will do nothing," the demonic angel replied coolly. "Have you forgotten that I am easily on par with Megas, and perhaps even more powerful than them?"

Another growl. "No...My Lord."

"Very good. Now, unless you have anything else to say...?" As Daemon shook his head reluctantly, Lucemon turned and plucked a feather from one of his angel wings, which he then pointed to his forehead while muttering some words unpronounceable to anyone who was not a Demon Lord. The moment the last word had been spoken he released the feather, which hung in the air for a moment before glowing brightly and rotating - slowly at first, but each turn becoming faster and faster until it had formed a swirling vortex (which, had any of them known it, was similar to the one which Alphamon had stepped into earlier). A snap of the Demon Lord's fingers, and the vortex grew larger, revealing a large expanse of grass with several round flowerbeds scattered here and there; a gravel path lined with trees and a large statue depicting the Four Gods of the Digital World on the other side.

"Perfect," hissed the demonic angel, his evil grin widening.

* * *

_**Even before he turned, he could tell that he was being followed. By what, exactly, he had no idea, but the fact remained that there was something behind him, and he had a suspicion that he knew what that something was.**_

_**Pivoting on the spot, he found himself face-to-foot with a giant...thing. He could not think of a word to describe it, and perhaps there was no such term. It didn't matter - all he knew was that he had to stop it before any more innocent Digimon fell victim to it and its followers. How he knew that was a question he had no answer to.**_

_**He bounded effortlessly into the air a second before the creature's great fist slammed down exactly where he had been standing a few moments ago. As he landed, he suddenly noticed that his entire body was covered in bandages, and his fingers had been replaced with black claws, but before he could figure out why the creature pulled its arm free and unleashed a pulse of clear energy from its mouth, sending a mighty shockwave in all directions as it slammed into the ground, knocking him off his feet.**_

_**Despite being stunned, he was able to roll out of the way as it brought its foot down, jumping back to his feet. It was time to end this, and fast - he didn't know how much longer he could avoid its attacks.**_

_**Reaching into the air, he found his hand clasped around a small golden totem...or was it a staff?**_

_**A furious roar quickly brought him back to the current situation. Raising the whatever-it-was at the creature, he opened his mouth and yelled...**_

* * *

"WHA-HUH?!"

Startled, Mummymon sat bolt upright, clutching his blanket and breathing hard, looking around to make sure that he was still in his bedroom and not in the strange place from his dream. Sighing slightly in relief, he lay back down on the bed. "That...was weird," he murmured, scrutinizing his hands to make sure that they were still unbandaged and still had fingers instead of claws. "I wonder if that ramen was outta date?"

Yawning, he turned over so that he was facing the door...

...and noticed the small shaft of light shining through the crack between door and floor.

He sat bolt upright again, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew for certain that he hadn't left the light on, and he didn't think Dori could reach that far, so that left only one option, and it wasn't a pleasant one. Snatching up his cellphone, he quickly dialed 119 - or he tried to, for no sooner had he pressed the first digit than the phone gave a small beep and died. Cursing himself for forgetting to charge it up, he considered his options. Unless he wanted to climb out of the window (which would likely be sheer suicide, considering that he couldn't fly or survive five-foot drops) the only thing to do would be to confront the intruder head-on. It wasn't a very attractive course of action, but what choice did he have?

Reaching over the side of the bed, his fingers groped in the dark until they closed upon his cane - not the best weapon, perhaps, but it was heavy enough to hopefully stun the trespasser while he called the police on the house-phone. Clutching it tight, he lowered his feet to the floor, stood up and crept towards the door, feeling somewhat conspicuous wearing only the T-shirt and boxers that served as his pajamas. Opening it slowly, he cautiously moved into the hallway that separated his bedroom from the living room, only vaguely noticing that this room was still dark in his panic. Carefully making his way to the door at the other end of the hall, he took a deep breath before shouting, "Ok, whoever you are, drop whatever you're carrying and put your hands up! I have a weapon, and I will use it!"

No response, but that didn't mean anything. Grasping the door handle, he quickly turned it and threw the door open before charging into the room, cane raised and yelling like a maniac...

...only to be greeted by an empty room and Dori, who was sitting up in the middle of the sofa half-covered with the blanket and blinking.

"Er...umm...er..." Feeling embarrassed, Mummymon lowered the cane, blushing and rubbing the back of his head. "Uh...sorry about that, Dori, but I could've sworn that someone broke in and..." He trailed off as he realized that this room, like the hall, was completely devoid of light, apart from a small shaft of street lamp light drifting in from a crack in the curtain and illuminating the little Digimon. "B-but I coulda - " He shook his head and put a hand to his forehead. "Now I know I'm going crazy."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. After all, it was an understandable reaction - I'm sure others would have done the same thing," said a masculine voice.

"Thanks for that, bu - " Mummymon did a double-take as he registered what had just happened. "Who's there?!" he demanded, looking around frantically. "I warn you - I'm armed!"

"So you've said."

The grey-skinned Digimon suppressed a gulp. "I-I'm serious! Show yourself!"

"I'm on the sofa."

Jerking his head towards the piece of furniture, Mummymon felt his fear slowly fade away to be replaced by confusion. "D-Dori? Was that you?"

He hadn't really expected the mon to answer, but somehow he wasn't surprised when it nodded. "I guess there's really no point to this masquerade now," it - no, not it, HE - said.

Shaking himself free of the blanket, the little mon climbed onto the arm of the sofa and back-flipped - actually back-flipped - off. Midway through the turn, he started to glow and change shape as well as size. When he landed on the cushions, he had turned into a little purple-and-white fox with small black bat wings, a long tail, claws and a red jewel on his forehead. He stood on his tiptoes briefly, then bowed.

Blinking rapidly, Mummymon slowly reached up and pinched himself hard on the arm. The small stab of pain making it clear that he was indeed awake, he sank to his knees, the cane sliding from his fingers. "But...what...how..."

"First, let us throw a little light on the subject, so to speak," said the fox. He flew over to a nearby lamp and clicked it on, illuminating the room. "And now, I suppose explanations are in order."

Still stunned, Mummymon's only response was a mute nod. The fox Digimon seemed to take it as an encouraging sign, as he smiled. "Well, for starters, I'm going to guess that you're confused about the light that caught your attention?"

Despite his surprise, Mummymon managed to compose himself enough to stammer out, "Y-yes. H-how did you..." Then he stopped abruptly, realization slamming into him like a locomotive. "Wait - it was you!"

The fox had the decency to look embarrassed. "Yes, and I'm sorry I scared you, but I had to get you out of bed somehow, and the only alternative was starting a fire, so I'd say that was the lesser of two evils."

Mummymon didn't think that making someone think there were burglars in the apartment was the lesser of anything, but before he could say so, the fox chuckled. "Ah, I'm forgetting my manners." Hovering in the air slightly, he gave a small bow. "My name is Dorumon. May I know yours?"

"Huh? Oh!" Mummymon shook his head to clear it. "It's Mummymon."

Dorumon looked puzzled. "MUMMYmon? I thought you were male."

"Not _that_ kind of mummy," Mummymon sighed. If he had a yen for every time someone had made that mistake, he'd probably be able to afford a more expensive apartment.

"Ah, I see," Dorumon nodded. "Now that we've cleared up that little misunderstanding..." He cleared his throat and drew himself up importantly. "Mummymon, it is my duty and pleasure to inform you that you have been chosen by Yggdrasil Herself to protect this world from the Seven Great Demon Lords."

There was a moment's silence as Mummymon stared at Dorumon, taking in what the fox had just told him, then a grin slowly spread across his face before he burst out laughing, rocking backwards and forwards while clutching his sides as though they would split in half. Dorumon waited for him to stop laughing before he continued. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Gasping for breath, Mummymon clutched the arm of the sofa, "I-I never sai - " Noticing Dorumon's raised eyebrow, he sobered up. "No," he admitted. "I don't believe you. I mean, everyone knows that Yggdrasil is only a fairy tale, and even if she did exist, why would she choose me? I have no powers, no fighting skills - nothing! Besides, I've never even HEARD of the Seven Great Demon Lords..." He paused, contemplating something, then he let out a small giggle. "Oh, I get it! It's a joke!"

Dorumon blinked. "A...joke?"

"Yeah, a joke! Someone paid you to come here and pretend to be a messenger from a non-existent goddess to make me look stupid. So, who hired you? One of the angels? Silphymon?"

If Dorumon was thrown off balance by this comment, he gave no indication of being so other than a small shrug. "Well, I suppose I can't blame you for not believing me. To be honest, I would have been surprised if you HAD. But I can assure you, I speak the truth, and I have been looking for you for most of the day."

_This guy's good,_ thought Mummymon, _but I should bring this to an end quickly - I have work in the morning. _"Look, Dorumon, I don't want to sound rude, but I'll level with you - the only way I'll believe you is if I actually see evidence of this...duty. So, unless you can provide something, I'm going back to bed." He got to his feet, but before he could move any further, Dorumon reached forward and grabbed his wrist.

"Very well. If I prove to you that I'm not lying or playing a trick on you, will you listen to me?"

"Um..." Mummymon pondered this for a moment, then decided that there was no harm in going along with the gag. Besides, Dorumon sounded sincere enough even if it was all a joke. "Well, I suppose I'll consider it."

"Good enough." Floating back to the sofa, Dorumon lowered himself onto a cushion and assumed the seiza position. "Now, first of all, I need something that you will have with you at all times. Something small and inconspicuous enough to avoid raising suspicions."

Mummymon stroked his chin in thought, then snapped his fingers. "I've got just the thing! Be right back." He headed back to his bedroom, grabbed his cellphone and returned to the living room. "Will this do?" he asked, holding out the phone.

Dorumon scrutinized it, then nodded. "Perfect. And now..." He clenched his fist, and light flashed through his closed fingers. When he opened his hand, a dark blue crystal was floating above his palm. Taking this in his fingers, he reached up and touched it to the cover of the phone. A glow slowly started emitting from the gem, making the lamplight seem dull in comparison, before it sank into the phone, causing that to shine brightly. Startled, Mummymon opened his hand, but the cellphone did not fall, instead hovering in the air. As the radiance faded, it sank slowly, giving him time to catch it.

It was then that he noticed the cover had changed - whereas before it had been a dull black, it was now royal blue with a little golden scarab embedded in the middle. Worried that it had been damaged during the conversion, he flipped it open, revealing a gold-colored interior with white number, call and arrow buttons and a shiny black screen. It LOOKED OK, but even so... "Um, this still functions as a phone, right?" he asked somewhat nervously, starting to get the impression that this was NOT, in fact, a joke.

"Don't worry. I promise, it's perfectly fine," Dorumon assured him. "Now - " But before the fox could say anything else, he suddenly sat bolt upright, his ears twitching.

Mummymon was surprised at this sudden change in the fox's demeanor. "Er...are you OK?" he asked worriedly.

"Sssh!" Dorumon commanded, lifting a finger. "Listen!"

"To wh-" the mummy began, only to snap his mouth shut as he realized that he could hear it as well - the sound of a loud, shrill roar.

Quickly, Dorumon flew over to the window, wrenched it open and stuck his head out. "What's in that direction?" he demanded, pointing towards the east.

Mummymon frowned in thought as he joined Dorumon at the window. "Nothing much - a few more apartment blocks; the grocery store; the park - "

"Come on!" Before the grey-skinned Digimon could blink, Dorumon darted over to the front door and tugged on it, only to find it locked. "Quick! Unlock this door!"

"Why?"

"Why? So we can get to the park, of course! Why else?"

Mummymon was confused at first, then his eye widened as he became fully aware of what the fox was implying. "Are you nuts?! I can't just run to the park in my nightclothes! What would the neighbors say?"

Dorumon gave him an exasperated look. "You're thinking of your appearance at a time like this?" Then he looked thoughtful. "Although, I suppose you're right about running to the park..."

"Now you're talking sense," Mummymon said in relief. "I'll admit I'm curious as to what that noise was too, but - " He was interrupted as Dorumon grabbed his wrist again. "Hey! What are you - ?"

"Running will take too long!" said Dorumon hurriedly. "This is a shortcut!" The moment he finished speaking, the red jewel on his forehead shone brightly, and in a blaze of light they were gone.

* * *

The Digital City park was usually quiet at this time of night, the laughter and joyful cries of the day having faded long after sunset as sleepy Babies, In-Trainings and Rookies were carried home by their parents and guardians to warm soft beds. On a normal night, the only Digimon likely to be found in this place after dark were a few insomniacs, some Champions hanging out by the swings planning to cause mischief, a select group of Rookies who lived near the park and decided to sneak out of bed and play a little longer, and those unfortunate enough to have to do late night work who had decided to take a shortcut to or from their homes.

This was not a normal night.

Frightened screams rang out in the still night air, and Digimon ran in all directions as they desperately tried to get away from the monstrous beast that had suddenly materialized from out of nowhere. A few brave mon stood their grounds and unleashed a barrage of attacks, but it had little affect upon the beast other than irritating it and causing it to lash out at those unfortunate enough to be nearby. Fortunately, there had been no victims as of yet, but how long would that last?

In all the chaos, nobody noticed two more Digimon appear beside an old oak tree in a flash of light. Mummymon staggered, holding his stomach as though he was about to throw up. "That was something I never wanna do again," he groaned.

"You'll get used to it," said Dorumon brusquely. "If you want my advice, focus on THAT!" And he gestured in the direction ahead of them.

Mummymon looked over at where the fox was pointing, and quickly wished he hadn't as he laid eye on what could only be described as some form of mutant Digimon. It was easily the size of a single storey building, vaguely centaur-like, with acid-green skin, an equine head and long arms which ended in razor-sharp scythes. Its teeth were bright glittering needles and its jet-black eyes (or were they eye sockets?) were narrowed in either hatred or rage, it was hard to tell which. Abruptly, as if it had sensed something, the creature straightened up and sniffed the air - or appeared to, as it had no visible nose - then, to Mummymon's horror, it turned with a snarl and charged straight towards him, lifting its arm as it did.

With a frightened yelp, Mummymon jumped aside, and only just in time as the beast swung its scythe and cut through the old oak tree as though it was made of butter. It pulled its arm free, then brought it down again, missing him by inches as he leapt back to avoid it. Growling, it slowly started to advance on the mon, swinging its scythes as it did and forcing him to back away in order to avoid being hit.

"Metal Cannon!"

A large ball of metal shot through the air and slammed into the creature's arm, causing it to roar in pain. As it angrily turned its head to see who had struck it, Mummymon felt someone grab his arm. "Run!" cried Dorumon's voice in his ear. He obliged, hurtling towards a nearby fountain as though there was a wild Garurumon snapping at his heels. Diving behind it, he panted heavily as Dorumon flew into his field of view. "Wh...what IS that thing?" he gasped, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

"It's a Yaijumon," was the answer.

Despite the danger Mummymon blinked, thinking that he must have misheard. "A WHAT-jumon?"

"A Yaijumon," the fox repeated. "One of the unnatural creations of the Demon Lords. And it's what you have to defend this world from."

"WHAT?!" squawked Mummymon, clapping a hand over his mouth as he remembered the monster (which luckily had not heard him). "But I can't even defend _myself_ right now - how am I supposed to defend the world?!"

"Do you want to live?"

The mummy was taken aback. "What sort of question is that? Of COURSE I want to live!"

"Then you have no choice in the matter. You must save yourself, and the only way to do so is to use the power you have been endowed with."

"But..." A four-legged pounding of the ground behind him cut off any further protests Mummymon might have had. "Ok, I'll do it!" he cried. "What do I have to do?!"

"Hold out your device and call out the word 'Henshinka'," Dorumon ordered, pointing at the cellphone Mummymon still clutched.

"Why?"

"No time for questions! You promised you'd listen to me, so do it!"

"OK, here goes." Hesitantly, Mummymon lifted the hand holding the phone into the air. "HENSHINKA!"

No sooner had the word died on his lips than the cellphone flipped open, blazing with bright light. Mummymon lifted off the ground in a column of light as pure white ribbon-like streamers of power wrapped themselves around his arms, legs, head and body before coalescing into bandages. His fingers and toes elongated into black claws, while two black artillery belts wrapped themselves around his chest in a cross. A purple bandanna and two red-and-yellow crooks completed his appearance, and steel leg braces clamped around his lower legs before his feet touched the ground again.

Spotting his reflection in the fountain water, he gasped. "Is..is that me? he uttered, touching his hands to his face. "I look...heroic, I think." A screeching roar made him snap his head up, and he just barely managed to dodge the blade that reduced the fountain to a pile of rubble, spraying water everywhere. "Quick, Dorumon, I transformed - what do I do?"

"Distract it."

"What?"

"Distract it! We have to get it to take its attention off those Digimon and onto you!"

"What Digimon?" Confused, he looked over at the Yaijumon - and his heart leapt into his throat in horror. While the park was nearly empty, a few Digimon had remained to watch the spectacle, despite the obvious danger, and the Yaijumon was now advancing on them.

"Right," Mummymon gulped, not sure whether or not he liked that idea. "Er...hey, ugly!" he shouted, grabbing a rock and throwing it as hard as he could at the Yaijumon's head. It bounced off harmlessly, but the little missile had fulfilled its purpose - the creature returned its attention to its former victim, mouth bared in an angry snarl.

"Uh-oh." Casting his gaze around frantically, Mummymon spotted a fallen branch under what remained of the oak tree. Quickly, he charged towards it and snatched it up, turning to face the Yaijumon while raising the branch like a baseball bat. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it would have to do. "I-I'm warning you! Don't come any closer!"

Undeterred, the creature continued onward before stopping just above him, arms raised and ready to strike. Thinking rapidly, Mummymon drew back the branch and slammed it against the Yaijumon's nearest leg, causing it to stagger back and let out a shriek of pain. He might have felt sorry for it if it weren't for the fact it had tried to kill him. Sadly, it recovered quickly, lowering its deadly arm with such speed that he was only just able to bring the branch up to met it. The blade sliced through it, breaking it in half and depriving him of his only weapon. In desperation, he drew his arms back and hurled the pieces at its head. It merely lifted a blade in front of its face, deflecting the wood, and kicked out at him, knocking him to the ground - it had obviously decided he was no fun as a target.

Groaning as he pulled himself into a sitting position, Mummymon looked over at the beast, which was headed back towards the remaining Digimon. Luckily, they had cottoned on that it wasn't safe to stick around and were fleeing, but they were practically stampeding, pushing and shoving each other to get to safety, all the while running the risk of falling and becoming a victim of those evil blades.

Then it happened. A little Palmon who should have been safely in bed tripped over her feet and fell flat on her face onto the hard gravel path. She struggled to get back up, but before she could, the Yaijumon slammed its foot onto her back, pinning her to the ground, and lifted its scythe with an evil cackle.

Mummymon didn't stop to think. He didn't even stop to feel scared. In one rapid motion he jumped to his feet and charged towards the beast, arm drawn back and claws ready to strike.

With a terrified scream, the Palmon snapped her eyes shut and waited for the killing blow...but it never came. Instead, there was a roar of pain and the heavy weight lifted from her back. Slowly, nervously, she opened her eyes - and gasped. The monster was bleeding from three ugly red slash marks in its side, and it was glaring at a Digimon who was wrapped in white bandages, two artillery belts and leg braces. Her savior had one hand on his hip and the other raised slightly, bright red blood shining on his claws.

Mummymon smirked slightly as he shook his hand, ridding it of blood. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's not nice to hit those who can't fight back?" he purred, hoping that he sounded braver than he felt. The Yaijumon let out another roar, this one of rage, but just as it was about to bring a blade down he quickly grabbed a handful of gravel and threw the tiny pebbles into its eyes. Shrieking in more pain, it rubbed at its eyes with its wrist joints trying to dislodge the grit, while Mummymon took advantage of the distraction to snatch up the Palmon and run towards the edge of the park. Thrusting the Rookie into a bush, he muttered, "Stay out of sight," before returning his attention to the Yaijumon, which had gotten its eyes clean and was now looking at him with what could only be described as pure unadulterated hatred.

Hoping that it couldn't tell how terrified he was inside, Mummymon gritted his teeth and launched himself in the direction of the monster as it started to stampede toward him, raising his fists as he did - he didn't know how much damage they'd do, but it would hopefully be enough to keep the Yaijumon's attention on him and off anyone else. Narrowly dodging the scythes, he slashed at its leg with his claws and managed to score a direct hit as it screamed and rose onto its hind-legs. It recovered quickly, however, and the next attack came so close to him that he was very nearly hit. _This is not good,_ he thought, trying to resist the urge to panic. _I can't keep doing this all night, and just kicking it around isn't gonna stop it - I need a weapon! A sword, a bat, anything - but what do I..._

Without thinking, he found himself lifting his hand to the sky and opening it as though to grab something. There was a bright glow, and out of thin air appeared a baton, which he clenched his fingers around and brought into his line of vision. It appeared to be made out of gold, with an ankh for a hilt (its elongated loop serving as the grip) and a sapphire silver-winged scarab atop it. Mummymon gaped at the magnificent thing, but had little time to admire it as the Yaijumon prepared to bring its deadly blades down. Jumping back, he instinctively raised the baton in front of his face, and a word came unbidden to his mind. "NECROPHOBIA!" he yelled, slashing the baton in the shape of a diagonal cross before pointing it at his foe. The scarab crackled with power as its wings opened, then glowed white and fired a beam of ghostly white energy towards the Yaijumon.

"KKYYAAAHHHH!" screamed the Yaijumon, throwing its arms up as the attack struck it in the chest. For a moment it stood there, energy spiraling around its body, then it was engulfed completely in a flare of light which faded to reveal a large bright orange egg covered in what appeared to be ugly-looking red veins. This hovered in the air for a second, before turning grey and disintegrating into a pile of ash.

As the baton slowly faded away, Mummymon felt the adrenalin which had surged through his body during the battle begin to fade and weariness start to overcome him. The sound of wings caught his attention, and he looked up to see Dorumon flying towards him. "Hey, Dorumon?" he asked as he stifled a yawn, "how do I change back?"

The purple-and-white fox shook his head. "Not here. I shall tell you when we return to your abode."

"But I don't think I'll be able to stay awake long enough to get home!" Mummymon protested. "Besides, I didn't bring the front door key."

"We don't need a key."

"Then how - ?" the mummy began, only to have his wrist grabbed for the third time that night before he and Dorumon disappeared in a flash of red light, reappearing in the living room of his apartment.

Shaking his head to clear it of the nausea brought on by teleportation, Mummymon collapsed onto the sofa and gave Dorumon a look that was almost pleading. "OK, we're home. Now will you PLEASE tell me how to transform back?"

Dorumon didn't answer for a moment, instead folding his arms across his chest and closing his eyes as if he was listening intently to someone or something. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes again. "That is simplicity itself. Just hold your device in both hands and focus on your non-transformed state."

"Um...OK." Folding his hands around the cellphone, Mummymon concentrated as hard as he could on his nightclothes. There was a burst of light from the phone, and when it disappeared he was once again in his somewhat-ratty T-shirt and boxers. "T-thank...goodness..." he yawned, before finally giving in to exhaustion and falling asleep where he sat, the phone sliding from his limp fingers and his head lolling sideways.

Dorumon chuckled. "Well, I guess you have a lot more questions, but they can wait until tomorrow," he decided, letting out his own yawn. Fluttering over to the sofa, he moved the phone to the table that held the lamp, turned the lamp off and gently pushed Mummymon down until the grey-skinned mon was lying on his side, covering him with the blanket. Lowering himself until he was nestled next to him, Dorumon changed back into Dori, yawned again, and joined the new guardian of the Digital World in the realm of the unconscious.

* * *

"HA! I knew it!" sneered Barbamon. "Your 'brilliant plan' failed, oh 'mighty' Lucemon! Now we're down one Yaijumon, and nowhere near achieving our goals!"

Lucemon tented his fingers. "Actually, Barbamon, I think you will find that my plan has succeeded, and succeeded perfectly."

"Sure, if the perfect plan involved getting beaten by some guy in bandages," Beelzemon muttered to Lilithmon, who stifled a giggle. Lucemon shot them both a warning look, then leaned back in his throne. "If you recall, I never said that the purpose of sending out a Yaijumon was to win - it was merely to see who was in charge of the protection of this pitiful little world, and it has done so."

"Well, I must say, if that miserably inadequate mon is the champion of this dimension, we'll be running the place in no time," purred Lilithmon as she slunk behind Lucemon's throne and began to massage his shoulders (Leviamon opened his mouth but it was quickly clamped shut by Daemon's hand). "Perhaps it would be wise to attack ourselves, and see how he copes."

Lucemon shook his head, and placed his hand on Lilithmon's. "No, my dear Lilithmon. You saw yourself how well he fought, especially when there were citizens in danger. We cannot rush into this." He stood up and waved his hand. "All of you, leave my sight. I need to plan the next move, and I can only do that alone."

"More like he doesn't wanna look stupid in fronta us," murmured Beelzemon, only to yelp as a bolt of lightning struck near where he was standing. "Alright, alright, I'm gone," he muttered, stalking out of the room, the other Demon Lords following behind, Daemon dragging Belphemon.

Seating himself again, Lucemon conjured up a glass of red wine and sipped it thoughtfully. "So, the great Yggdrasil has indeed chosen a new hero," he mused. "Well, My Lady, let us see how long it takes to crush him..."

**So, that's the first chapter of Magical Warrior Ejyputomon. I know, there's not much 'magic' in this chapter - but hey, if it worked for Pretty Cure...**

**Seriously, though, I hope you like it. And any suggestions for the next chapter would be much appreciated!**


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